Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Generally, symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur provide higher awards. In such known gaming machines, the amount of the wager made on the base game by the player can vary.
Gaming machines which provide secondary or bonus games are also known. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award, such as a bonus award, to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Instead, secondary or bonus games are generally activated or triggered upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. For instance, a bonus symbol occurring on the payline on the third reel of a three reel slot machine may trigger the secondary bonus game. When a secondary or bonus game is triggered, the gaming machine generally indicates this triggering to the player through one or more visual and/or audio output devices, such as the reels, lights, speakers, video screens, etc. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming machines is the occurrence or triggering of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be).
In certain of these gaming machines, regulations require that the results or outcomes of one or more of the previous played game are stored in a memory device. The storing of the outcomes enables a regulator or gaming machine operator, such as casino personal, to access the results of a predetermined number of previous plays to monitor game play.
Certain known gaming machines utilize a memory device to flag information from one game or gaming sequence to be regenerated in one or more subsequent games or gaming sequences. One known gaming machine uses a memory device to store one or more symbols generated from a spin of the reels for subsequent use, such as in the next spin. Another one of these gaming machines enables the player to select a symbol to save and then enables the player to retrieve this symbol in a subsequent game or gaming sequence. These games attempt to enhance the player experience by causing the outcome of one game to influence the outcome of a subsequent game.
Additionally, other known gaming machines utilize a memory device and a history display to display to the player the results of previous plays of the game. One of these gaming machines shows the time interval since the last occurrence of a particular outcome or the frequency of the occurrence of a particular outcome.
There is a continuing need to increase the level of excitement and entertainment for people playing gaming machines. It is thus desirable to provide players with new features for gaming machines, where the new features utilize a memory device to regenerate, redisplay and award players the outcomes of one or more previous plays of a game.